Serving a participant who wants the rules stated precisely

Population-level research on Germanic Europe describes high uncertainty avoidance: a strong preference for clear rules, documented procedures and predictable outcomes. A participant asking for the exact regulation behind a decision, in writing, with a citation, is often expressing this value — not expressing distrust of the caseworker personally. General reassurance, however well-intentioned, can feel evasive to someone who wants precise, verifiable information.

This is a population-level tendency and not every participant, from this background or any other, will want the same level of detail. Providing precise information when asked costs little and respects the participant's actual request; the caution is not to assume every participant wants this level of detail unprompted, or to treat requests for precision as suspicion.